Ohio State
21-13,12-8Big Ten
TCU
23-11,11-7Big 12
Buckeyes Fall to TCU in NCAA Opening Round
3/19/2026 4:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Ohio State came back from a 15-point halftime deficit, but TCU scored in the final seconds to come away with a 66-64 victory in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
The Buckeyes end the season with a record of 21-13. This was their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022.
All five Buckeyes starters scored in double figures. John Mobley Jr. led the way with 15 points and six assists. Devin Royal added 14 points while Amare Bynum had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Seniors Christoph Tilly and Bruce Thornton each finished with 10 points in their final collegiate games. For Thornton, he’s the first four-time captain in program history and he finishes his career as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,164 points.
TCU controlled the first half and went on an 11-0 run over the final 3:15 to take a 39-24 lead into the break. Ohio State then opened the second half on a 16-4 run to cut the lead to three with 12 minutes to play.
A 15-1 Buckeye run over the next six minutes gave Ohio State a 55-50 lead with just over six minutes left in the game. Gabe Cupps had a big three-pointer and Royal added six points during the spurt.
The Horned Frogs retook the lead at the two-minute mark but two clutch free throws by Royal evened the score with 1:16 to play. A TCU three-pointer was answered by a three-pointer by Thornton, and the game was again tied with 34 seconds left.
TCU scored in the paint with four seconds remaining to take a 66-64 lead Thornton’s shot from half court was off target.
#GoBucks
